Freedom and Capitalism in Early Modern Europe

This book hinges upon ideas and discourses variously known under labels such as "Mercantilism" and "Cameralism". Often viewed as antithesis of capitalism, inclusive institutions and good economy in the "West", this book re-assembles them and builds them into a coherent origin story of modern capitalism. It explores the field of intellectual and conceptual history, especially the history of Renaissance and Mercantilism in a longer history of capitalism. Rather than hindrances, the author argues that Mercantilist and Cameralist political economies presented essential stepping stones of modern capitalism, in Britain and beyond. This book will be of interest to academics and students in general economic history, the history of capitalism, economic development and the history of economic thought.

Autorentext
Dr Philipp Robinson Rössner is Professor of Early Modern History at the University of Manchester, UK. He was recently elected as the first historian ever into the Young Academy of the Sächsische Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Leipzig (Saxon Academy of Sciences).

Inhalt
Chapter 1. Cameralism, Mercantilism and the Making of the Modern Economic Mind.-Chapter 2. Debating capitalism and economic modernity in early modern Europe.- Chapter 3. Early Modern Economic Lives.- Chapter 4: Early Modern Political Economy and the Market: A Life on the Margins?.- Chapter 5. Capitalism and Freedom in pre-modern Thought.- Chapter 6. Creating freedom, constructing laissez-faire.- Chapter 7. Strange Origins of Capitalism.